I have to thank my
pastor for leading me to this chapter in the Bible where God has begun
organizing His people to build the Temple and all its requirements. He told me
in his email that Bezalel, the master craftsmen in charge of all the other craftsmen,
was one of only two people in the entire Old Testament whom God anointed with
the Holy Spirit. The other was the prophet, Ezekiel.
I spent a fair bit
of the camping trip immersed in drawing, trying to capture the essence of
Killbear Provincial Park. My motivation is a combination of gratitude for God’s
creations as well as rising up to a challenge. The pen and ink drawings were
far more successful than the watercolour sketches except for a deer drawn from
memory that had a striking resemblance to a donkey. Smile. It happens. I haven’t
quite figured out the colours needed to capture the massive banks of pink/orange/peach
granite that fold into the navy/purple water’s edge.
Many a person has
told me how much they wished they had my talent but this morning has opened my
eyes another notch. The talent, the innate ability to draw is a gift. The Holy
Spirit fuels the passion, the dedication to improving my craft. The Spirit is
what enables me to stay still and focused on the task at hand.
In the deepest
moments of concentration, I disappear and become one with the drawing. The page
becomes my world. In that moment, past, present and future become nonexistent. I
have always called it, “Being in the zone.” But that idea has been reframed
because I realize now this happens because I am at one with God through the act
of creating.
It also explains why
I have used art as a way of grounding myself when the anxiety is bad. It
enables me to over-ride my inner turmoil to sense the presence of God. I also now
understand why I was able to use the art as a form of prayer when words failed
me. My doubt about whether or not this was “right” has been put to rest.
Maybe this is also
why I have such a passion to teach. It’s so others can experience God, the
Creator, through the act of creating.
There were a couple
of young girls at the beach who politely asked if they could see what I was
painting. I’d already had a lengthy conversation with the older girl as we
paddled in the swimming area. She kept asking me if she was bothering me by
talking. Not at all!
I’d just started a
watercolour sketch of a cloud dotted sky, the rippling water and the illusive
pink granite from the comfort of my camp chair. They were curious about the
paints and asked if they could watch what I was doing. I took a moment to
explain how they worked when the paper was wet or the effect if the paper was
dry. They asked why I wasn’t using an easel. Good question! My paper was taped
to the back of the paper pad to prevent it from blowing away.
Their mother was
sitting beside us, listening. Her girls were filled with excitement to try
painting with watercolours. She thanked me for taking the time with them but I
have to admit, seeing their eagerness to explore this art form was all the
thanks I needed.
Who knows, one of
them might be the next Leonardo Davinci. AMEN!
No comments:
Post a Comment